All-Star Game 2023 predictions dunk cont

The 2023 NBA All-Star weekend kicks off with the Jordan Rising Stars game on Friday night and ends with the All-Star game on Sunday. In-between, fans will get to see some of the league's greatest duke it out in various competitions.Predicting winners isn't as simple as just going chalk. In fact, Reggie Jackson Jersey none of last year's favorites Jalen Green (Dunk), Fred VanVleet (3-point) and Team Rookies (Skills) ended up winning. Of particular note is Karl-Anthony Towns who won the 3-point contest despite the longest odds at +1,400.Offering up picks for All-Star weekend is tricky busine s, and yet here we are!Who will win every event and contest? Which team and player will be honored during Sunday's main event? Here are my predictions. There will be four teams competing in a three-game mini-tournament, comprised of NBA rookies, sophomores, and G-League players at 9pm ET on Friday, Feb 17.Those four teams will be led by captains Deron Williams, Joakim Noah, Pau Gasol, and Jason Terry.Team Pau GasolPlayerTeamPaolo BancheroMagicBennedict MathurinPacersJaden IveyPistonsScottie BarnesRaptorsJose Matt Joyce Jersey AlvaradoPelicansKeegan MurrayKingsAndrew NembhardPacersTeam Deron WilliamsPlayerTeamFranz WagnerMagicJalen GreenRocketsAlperen SengunRocketsTrey Murphy IIIPelicansAJ GriffinHawksBones HylandNuggetsWalker Ke slerJazzTeam Joakim NoahPlayerTeamEvan MobleyCavaliersJosh GiddeyThunderJalen WilliamsThunderJeremy SochanSpursQuentin GrimesKnicksJabari Smith Jr.RocketsJalen DurenPistonsTeam Jason TerryPlayerTeamSidy Ci sokoG League IgniteMojave KingG League IgniteScoot HendersonG League IgniteKenneth Lofton Jr.Memphis HustleMac McClungDelaware Blue CoatsLeonard MillerG League IgniteScotty Pippen Jr.South Bay LakersTeam Deron probably has the most talent. Franz Wagner is the best player in the game, and they have the best two centers in Walker Ke sler and Alperin Sengun along with two of the best shooters in Trey Murphy III and Bones Hyland.I'm going with the dark horse though Team Jason, full of G-League players. They're the least talented but will try the hardest. And effort is going to be a pretty big factor, as the winner will have to play two games in a row.Prediction: Team Jason The Kia Skills challenge will take place on Saturday, Feb. 18 at 8pm ET between three teams:TeamPlayersAntetokounmposAlex Antetokounmpo, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Thanasis AntetokounmpoJazzJordan Clarkson, Walker Ke sler, Collin SextonRooksPaolo Banchero, Jaden Ivey, Jabari Smith Jr.The Antetokounmpos have been in this competition before, finishing dead last in 2022. That had to have hurt their pride, and their experience combined with the hunger to win makes them my pick.Prediction: Team Antetokounmpos The Starry 3-point contest will be held directly after the Kia Skills Challenge. The participants are as follows:Name3-point percentageJayson Tatum35.7%Tyler Herro36.9%Damian Lillard37.2%Anfernee Simons38.1%Kevin Huerter39.2%Tyrese Haliburton39.9%Lauri Markkanen41.2%Buddy Hield42.6%I'm picking Hield to win. Not only does he have the highest 3-point percentage this season, but he won the event back in Tony Phillips Jersey 2020.Prediction: Buddy Hield The Slam Dunk contest will be the last event on Saturday night. The participants are as follows:PlayerTeamKenyon Martin Jr.RocketsMac McClungDelaware Blue Coats, G LeagueTrey Murphy IIIPelicansJericho SimsKnicksWhile he is the least-known of the group, Mac McClung is the easy favorite here. He has the underdog story, and he has built a ma sive thanks to his vicious dunks.No other contestant has put in close to the amount of time planning out their routine. McClung has been preparing for this moment for years. All-Star Saturday night will be McClung's "hello, world" moment. He's also only 6-2, making his dunks pop.Prediction: Mac McClung For years, NBA fans have clamored for a school-yard style All-Star draft. This year, that's exactly what we'll get.Team captains LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo will pick the All-Star teams at 7:30 p.m. ET in a live draft with the game scheduled to start at 8:30 p.m. ET.LeBron hasn't been a good general manager of the Lakers, but he has been great at picking All-Star teams Mark McGwire Jersey . His teams are 4-0, including two wins over Team Giannis back in 2019 and 2020.This is an easy pick.Prediction: Team LeBronThere are two general trends when it comes to All-Star MVPs there are rarely repeat winners, and big men almost never win.Steph Curry, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Kevin Durant, LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Kyrie Irving have all won the award already. They probably won't be gunning for it this year.Luka Doncic is probably the best player still left in that field, but he has always put up pedestrian numbers and been happy to take it easy that day. He's that the part of the day he's Terry Steinbach Jersey looking most forward to is when he flies to Mexico after the game is finished.My first instinct was to go with Joel Embiid, who scored 36 in last year's game. But with Embiid questionable to play, I'm going with Lauri Markkanen. He has the home-court advantage and is a big-time scorer. Fun fact: The only other time Utah hosted the NBA All-Star game back in 1993, Jazz teammates John Stockton and Karl Malone took home co-MVP honors. Can Markkanen repeat history? I say yes.Prediction: Lauri Markkanen